In a tightly contested Midwest League matchup on Tuesday night, the Lake County Captains secured a 4-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. The game remained deadlocked at 3‑3 through seven innings before the Captains broke the tie with a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.
Early lead for Wisconsin
The Timber Rattlers jumped ahead early. In the bottom of the first, first‑round pick Brady Ebel drew a walk, followed by a single from Cooper Pratt, who was on a rehab assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers. A wild pitch advanced both runners, and Eric Bitonti’s two‑out single brought them home, giving Wisconsin a 2‑0 advantage.
Captains respond
Lake County answered in the fourth inning when Jeffery Mercedes singled and Cannon Peebles followed with a solo home run to center field, putting the Captains ahead 3‑2. The Rattlers tied the game in the fifth when Pratt, with the bases loaded, delivered a sacrifice fly to right field.
Late‑inning drama
The decisive moment arrived in the eighth. After a walk to Andrew Healy, Anthony Martinez doubled, loading the bases with one out. Luis De La Cruz’s deep fly to left allowed Healy to score, giving the Captains a 4‑3 lead.
Wisconsin’s Jacob Morrison attempted a comeback in the seventh, walking Garrett Howe and later committing a balk that allowed Howe to score, but the Rattlers could not regain the lead.
Key performances
Andrew Healy set a new professional single‑game strikeout record with seven strikeouts over four innings. Brady Ebel drew four walks, demonstrating patience at the plate, while Cooper Pratt finished 1‑for‑2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI before exiting after the seventh inning.
For Wisconsin, the team went 1‑for‑9 with runners in scoring position, underscoring the difficulty of capitalizing on opportunities.
Looking ahead
The series continues Wednesday afternoon at the same venue. The Timber Rattlers will start Josh Knoth (4‑3, 4.68 ERA), while Lake County will counter with Aidan Major (0‑0, 4.50 ERA). Game time is set for 12:10 p.m.
Both clubs remain in the competitive middle of the league standings, with the Captains holding a 60‑51 overall record (23‑24 in the second half) and the Rattlers at 60‑50 (26‑22).
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
